Low Cost Marketing Queen

Lifestyle Entrepreneur Susan Ramsey came to me for support in launching her fourth business after relocating to Orange County a year ago. Her previous businesses included a Wellness Center, an Independent Clinical Nutrition practice, and a Counseling practice.

Her goals were to create multiple income streams from her passion for:

She wanted to build these businesses, while maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle. And also felt she needed to get her life rhythm back, after having many recent disruptions.

Together we created a Marketing Plan which focused on using low cost marketing channels in creative ways to market her Scientific Skincare and Clinical Nutrition products and services.

First we brainstormed where her target clients could be accessed. We determined that the women who needed Susan’s services would frequent places like: Whole Foods, Mother’s, Bristol Farms, Curves, Starbuck’s, nail and hair salons, and the Condo Complex where she lives.

Susan targeted these businesses as places to post fliers and business cards (at just the cost of printing). She hired a part time assistant to create and distribute marketing material on a weekly basis (at a reasonable rate and a considerable time savings for her).

We also thought that the women in her target market would be members of Woman Sage, The Republican Women’s Club, the Soroptimists, and the National Association of Women in Business. In this case, Susan decided to network at these organizations (at the cost of lunch or breakfast) and work on obtaining Speaking Engagements for them (Free).

In addition, Susan started using Constant Contact ($30 a month) to produce newsletters and promotions for her products and services to keep her in front of the clients and prospects in her database.

Susan also decided to offer free nutrition and/or skin care sessions to the women she knew who either knew a lot of people that they might refer to her or who might mention her in publications or at their organizations. (These free sessions cost her only her time).

Susan also started having Skin Care parties, speaking at women’s events, and renting booths at women’s events (at a nominal cost). With these selected marketing strategies she actually generated income by selling products. I always say that the best marketing strategies are ones in which you get paid to market.

We also worked on Susan’s sales language to ensure that she was maximizing her interactions with prospects and helped her get comfortable asking for referrals, so she could fully utilize her existing connections to generate leads (this cost her nothing).

We worked on her marketing materials to make them less scientific and more appealing to potential customers, for example, we chose the wording: “Your skin’s thirsty this winter. Quench its thirst with my deep hydration special” for one of her promotions.

As Susan implemented her marketing strategies, we continually analyzed them to determine if they were successful based on the ratio of time and money spent to clients generated. Susan adjusted her marketing efforts to focus on the more productive and least costly strategies.

As Susan’s coach through this process, I provided a brainstorming partner, a sounding board for decision-making, a catalyst for creating new ideas, accountability to do the hard tasks, a cheerleader when she did well, and moral support when she was feeling overwhelmed or discouraged.

Now Susan is well on her way to building another successful business and balancing her life at the same time. And she has her rhythm back!

Susan recently wrote me a note: “I am so deeply appreciative of all of your assistance in getting me back on the road to having a successful business. Donna, you are an extraordinary woman. I value you so very much.”